Each year thousands of elementary students line up along Atlantic Avenue to complete the final mile of their marathon journey at the Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile. The final mile is a celebration of the months of effort students put in with their school, classmates, family, and friends. The goal of the event is to make fitness fun for everyone and for students to realize the joy and pride in setting and achieving a goal.

Thanks to the support of Virginia Beach educators and administrators, the 2025 Shamrock Final Mile Art Contest was a great success! Over 200 entries were submitted and the winning student, Olivia G., a third grader from Alanton Elementary, had her design printed on 5,000 shirts.

2026 Shamrock Final Mile Art Contest Details:

• Contest is open to students in K– 5^th grade who will participate in the 2026 Shamrock Final Mile.
• Entries are due October 24, 2025.
• Students are encouraged to submit a design that is St. Patrick’s Day themed.
• Students should use a black pen or sharpie and may use additional colors in their design.
  • The design should stay within the black border on the page
• The submission form should be scanned and uploaded to this GOOGLE FORM.
• The winning design will be printed on 5,000 Final Mile participant shirts.
• 20 runner-up designs will be selected for display on the marathon course and the Sports & Fitness Expo.
• Winners will be shared on the Shamrock Marathon website on January 15, 2026

Submission questions? Jamie Rhoades | jamie@jandaracing.com | 757.285.6503